Partially hooded vane for abrasive blasting wheels



Dec. 29, 1964 E. L. HARTMAN 3,162,983

PARTIALLY HOODED VANE FOR ABRASIVEI BLASTING WHEELS Filed July 10, 1965 W" W" I 1' 5 1 i' A .ll 1 l 2 INVENTOR Edw cord, Lflarifizcm' United States Patent E lief! July 1%, 1963, Set. No. 293,951

2 Saints. (Cl. Elk-9) The present invention relates to a hooded vane for use with abrasive blasting wheels.

In an abrasive blasting wheel operation, particles are propelled at great force against a work article or articles to be cleaned, descaled, peened, etc.

It has been found that severe ricochet of the abrasive or peening particles from the article being blasted back to the blasting wheel and blades or vanes supported thereon causes rapid erosion of the tip ends of the vanes with corresponding premature failure.

The ricocheting abrasive that returns and actually strikes the vanes or blades interrupts the smooth flow of the abrasive along the vane surface and correspondingly gives non-uniform wear and in addition an erratic blast pattern. With the use of new larger blasting wheels containing more blades, such as 12 vanes, the horsepower .d the abrasive flow across the vane surfaces are continually being increased. Accordingly, the pattern on the vane face and the smooth flowing characteristics 7 thereof must be maintained to continually show improvement. It is, therefore, important to maintain the blade in as good a condition as possible for operation.

It is, therefore, one object of the invention to provide a new and novel blade or vane which substantially reduces wear and preserves the smooth abrasive flow pattern normally disturbed by ricocheting abrasive.

It is another object of the invention to provide a new and novel partially hooded type vane for use in abrasive blasting wheels.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from a study of the following description and drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective of the partially hooded vane of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the blade of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an end view taken from the outer end of the blade of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a top View of the vane of FIGURES 1-3; and

FIGURE 5 is a top view of a blasting wheel incorporating the vanes shown in FIGS. 14.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it is seen that the vane has a flat abrasive carrying surface 1 along which abrasive is advanced and accelerated and a base 2 p aliases Patented Dec. 2%, lhtid for supporting the blade in a channel formed in a blade carrying wheel. The blade has outwardly extending sides 3 and 4- which form an open channel along which the abrasive flows.

The outermost end of the blade is completely enclosed forming a hooded portion 5 at the extreme outer end thereof. The abrasive is emitted through the enclosed channel or hooded portion 5. This hooded portion 5 (the tip end of the vane) extends beyond the runner head and the hood 5 interrupts the ricocheting of the abrasive from the article being blasted before it reaches the abrasive traveling along the flat surface 1. Thereby, there is no interruption of the uniform flow of abrasive along the vane surface 1 to produce an erratic blast pattern.

FIG. 5 shows a number of vanes mounted on a blasting wheel 10 in appropriately shaped channels 12 for receiving base 2 of each vane. Blasting wheel 16 is of the type shown in US. Patent No. 2,869,289 in which abrasive particles are fed through a spout (not shown) in the center of the blasting wheel into a cage 14 which is provided with an impeller having a plurality of vanes 16. As the impeller is rotated abrasive particles are propelled by vanes 16 through feed slot 18 and thence along abrasive carrying faces 3 of the vanes and through hooded portions 5. Any abrasive which ricochets back toward the vanes strikes hooded portions 5 at the tip of each vane, so that there is no interruption of the uniform flow of abrasive along vane surface 1.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings, It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. An abrasive carrying vane for use in a rotatable abrasive blast wheel comprising a flat abrasive propelling surface extending longitudinally of the vane, a mounting along the bottom of the vane for anchoring the vane in the rotatable blast wheel, and a hooded portion of the vane at the tip end thereof extending over the flat surface carrying the abrasive to form the completely enclosed channel at the outer end of the vane.

2. The vane of claim 1 wherein the flat surface prior to the hooded portion of the vane has outwardly extending sides to form an abrasive carrying open channel prior to the hooded channel portion of the vane.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. AN ABRASIVE CARRYING VANE FOR USE IN A ROTATABLE ABRASIVE BLAST WHEEL COMPRISING A FLAT ABRASIVE PROPELLING SURFACE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE VANE, A MOUNTING ALONG THE BOTTOM OF THE VANE FOR ANCHORING THE VANE IN THE ROTATABLE BLAST WHEEL, AND A HOODED PORTION OF THE VANE AT THE TIP END THEREOF EXTENDING OVER THE FLAT SURFACE CARRYING THE ABRASIVE TO FORM THE COMPLETELY ENCLOSED CHANNEL AT THE OUTER END OF THE VANE. 